Jones Day adds leading real estate finance lawyer Zena Ho as partner in Los Angeles
Zena Ho has joined Jones Day as a partner in its Los Angeles Office and Financial Markets Practice, where she will focus on real estate finance transactions for lenders, REITs, private equity funds, and real estate companies.
Ms. Ho focuses her practice on real estate and real estate finance, counseling borrowers and lenders on structuring and documenting financing transactions involving multifamily developments, office and industrial parks, retail centers, mixed-use projects, and hospitality properties. She also represents lenders in the purchase, workout, and restructuring of distressed loans, as well as debt and equity financing and other intercreditor transactions.
"Zena is an outstanding addition to our Financial Markets Practice," said Brett Barragate, Chair of the Americas region of Jones Day's Financial Markets Practice. "Her sophisticated understanding of real estate finance transactions—from complex structured financings to distressed debt workouts—strengthens our ability to serve clients across the full spectrum of real estate capital markets. Zena's proactive, client-first approach and her ability to navigate intricate deal structures make her an exceptional fit for our team and our Firm."
Jones Day's Financial Markets Practice is a full-service global practice in which nearly 320 lawyers advise on the full range of complex cross-border financial transactions, regulatory matters, investigations, and litigation. Clients benefit from a collaborative approach and deep understanding of the banking and financial markets. The practice represents a diverse client base of global financial institutions, issuers, borrowers, funds, asset managers, and fintech companies. The team has helped clients close more than $1 trillion in financing transactions over the last five years, including many precedent-setting financings.
"Los Angeles is one of the most dynamic real estate markets in the world, and Zena's arrival deepens our capabilities to serve clients not only across Southern California and the West Coast, but throughout the Asia-Pacific region and around the globe," said David DiMeglio, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day's Los Angeles Office. "Her strong ties to the local business and real estate communities, combined with Jones Day's global reach, position us to deliver exceptional value to clients wherever their transactions take them."
Ms. Ho has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch for Real Estate Law (2022–2025), Legal 500 US as a Recommended Lawyer (2025), and the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of its Top 100 Lawyers (2026). Ms. Ho earned her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School in 2009 and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2005.
"I am excited to join Jones Day because of the Firm's strong culture of partnership and the way its lawyers genuinely work as one team," said Ms. Ho. "Real estate finance clients increasingly need advice that spans capital markets, M&A, private equity, and beyond, and I look forward to working alongside colleagues in Financial Markets, Real Estate, M&A, Private Equity, and other practices to give them that full picture. That spirit of teamwork and shared commitment to client service is what really sets Jones Day apart for me, and I am delighted to be part of it."
